Kicking Daisies
by QueerDeBergerac
Summary: Anna was just trying to skate through life while avoiding the cracks in the pavement. Elsa is willing to help seal those cracks. Skateboarder!AU
1. This Will Be The Day

Time couldn't possibly go any slower for Anna.

It seemed like the clock's rhythmic ticking had slowed considerably just to mock her. It sensed her deep need to escape from the confines of this classroom and decided a little torture was in order.

This was absurd, of course. It wasn't the clock's fault she was so impatient. Her itching desire to be free was just making her dramatic side come out. But she couldn't help it. She was craving the outside world. Or, more specifically, a certain aspect of it.

Her leg bounced under her desk while her eyes stayed glued to the clock. She rubbed her palms on her cargo shorts anxiously.

_Just a couple more minutes. _

A couple more minutes until she could feel the familiar rush of concrete under her skateboard. Until she could feel her hair being pushed back by the strong, yet calm breeze. The freedom that comes with surfing the pavement and how it relaxes her entire body after another exhausting day of school. Skating made her feel on top of the world.

So lost in her daydreams, the last bit of class didn't drag on any longer for Anna. The bell rang and jolted her from her thoughts. She ignored her teacher's reminder to do the homework and swiped everything off her desk, into her backpack before leaving the room in a flash.

_I wasn't gonna do the chem homework anyways. _

Anna hastily made her way to her locker before the hallway became too crowded. When she arrived, she spun the dial with the combination and opened the locker. The sight that greeted her was enough to make her sigh in contentment, delight washing over her.

Leaning against one of the walls of the locker was her beloved skateboard. Which she reached for and clutched to her chest as a mother to her child. Anna even kissed the board out of happiness. She continued to kiss it and didn't notice the disturbed looks passing students were giving her.

"What are you doing?"

The redhead ripped her face from the board and whirled around to the voice that addressed her. She was greeted with the bemused face of Kristoff who obviously witnessed her public display of affection with an inanimate object.

He still had that creeped out look on his face when he asked, "Should I leave you two alone?"

Anna lowered the skateboard to her side and tried to push away her embarrassment. "I'd prefer if you did, yes."

Kristoff smirked and shook his head. "You have no self-control."

Anna stuck her tongue out at her best friend then said, "Jealous much?"

"Of a piece of wood? Yeah right."

Anna's offended gasp carried down the halls and turned several heads. "Piece of wood? How can you say such a thing about my baby!?"

Her blond friend's face scrunched up. "Uh, 'cause that's what it is." He ignored Anna's affronted look and turned to open his own locker. "And your baby? I think you need a reality check."

The redhead glared at him and brought said baby back up to her face. She leaned into it and waited for Kristoff to retrieve his own board from his locker.

"I don't know how you sleep at night," she hissed at him.

He didn't miss a beat, "You also don't know how to eat without choking. So that's not a shocker."

Anna puffed out her cheeks.

_Damn you. That was one time. Maybe twice. _

Kristoff shut his locker and turned to the pouting girl. "Come on. Let's go meet the guys at the skate park."

Boards in hand, the two exited the school and headed to their paradise.

* * *

Elsa noticed that class was almost over and tried to finish up her homework before the bell rang. If she didn't have work to do tonight, Rapunzel and she would be able to hang out after school without Elsa's parents nagging her about the importance of schoolwork.

She finished up the last chemistry problem and sighed in relief.

_Whoever thought conversions were a good source of knowledge to have must've majored in torture tactics. _

The girl packed up her things and counted down the last couple seconds. The second the bell rang she sprang up and made her way to the door. Almost being run over by a redhead girl on the way.

_Geez, where's the fire?_

Shaking her head, Elsa continued on her way to meet Rapunzel in the parking lot. As she neared the exit, someone grabbed onto the platinum blonde's arm, almost yanking her shoulder from its socket.

"Hi! Did ya miss me?" Rapunzel greeted her. She was wrapped around Elsa's arm like a python.

Elsa used her other arm that wasn't in a deadly grip to rub her now sore shoulder. "I miss my personal space more."

That only made Rapunzel squeeze tighter and her smile to grow bigger. Her seemingly giddy state was putting Elsa on edge and she narrowed her eyes at her friend suspiciously.

"What's got you so pumped up?" She asked.

Somehow the excitement on Rapunzel's face doubled. "Guess what?" She said while bouncing and causing Elsa to bounce with her.

So they were gonna play this game. Elsa pretended to think for a moment then replied, "You finally decided to take my advice and wear shoes."

Her friend's posture slumped and she sighed as if Elsa was the aggravating one.

"No, it's not lame. Try again."

"Proper foot protection isn't lame. You could step on glass or-"

"Elsa! Stop lecturing me and instead get excited for me!"

"Why?" Her interest was piqued now.

Rapunzel noticed this and kept her friend hanging for a few more moments. A sneaky grin crawled up her face and she glanced around the halls like this revelation had to do with the fate of the world.

"I have," she pulled Elsa down to her level to whisper, "a date!"

Finally the overjoyed girl released her friend and they strolled outside to the parking lot. Elsa let this new information roll around in her head before she said, "Okay... And what makes this date any different from past ones?"

The other girl rolled her eyes because obviously Elsa was supposed to be able to read minds. Rapunzel reclaimed her grip on her friend's arm and enunciated her next words so Elsa would hear the importance of them. "I have. A date. With Flynn Rider."

That made Elsa stop. "The womanizer?"

Rapunzel huffed. "He's not a womanizer. He's sweet."

"That's what they want you to think Punzie." Elsa had seen and heard plenty of Flynn to come to the conclusion that he was bad news.

"Don't treat me like a kid! I know a good guy when I meet one. And Flynn is a very good guy."

Elsa raised her eyebrow skeptically. She wasn't buying it. Rapunzel glared at her friend and said, "Is it so hard to believe that he actually wants to go out with me?"

Elsa dropped the skepticism. "No it's just..."

"What?"

The next words that came out of Elsa's mouth were like acid on her tongue. "He's a _skater_ Rapunzel. He probably smokes weed and pisses in people's yards."

Rapunzel paused. Then her body erupted in shakes as she laughed her ass off. The blonde managed to squeak out through her guffaws, "Oh my god Els'! You don't even know the guy!"

"And you do?" She shot back.

"I know not to judge a book by its cover." She gave Elsa a disapproving stare. Which Elsa returned with one of her own.

"I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Well how about you support me instead. I know what I'm doing, okay?" Rapunzel hit her with the puppy dog eyes and Elsa was hopeless to continue the argument.

She sighed in resignation. "Fine." At her friend's immediate happy reaction, Elsa added, "But I wanna meet this guy first. Make sure he's good enough for you and not some serial killer."

Rapunzel's eyes rolled back into their sockets. Was Elsa seriously comparing skateboarding to murder? She whined out, "Ugh, fine _mom_."

Elsa pursued her lips and her eyes narrowed again. "Don't sass me young lady."

Her friend's response was to blow a raspberry at her. Then Rapunzel lit up as if remembering something. "Oh! You can meet him right now!"

The blonde started leading Elsa away from her car in a different direction and she struggled to not trip over her feet.

"What? Where?"

"At the skate park. He goes there all the time."

"Have you been stalking him?" Elsa asked.

She couldn't see it but Elsa didn't doubt that her friend was rolling her eyes at her again. "No. He told me that's where he hangs out a lot."

"Exactly how long have _you_ two been _hanging out_?"

"What are you, my therapist? Stop with all the questions." Rapunzel took a sharp turn around a street corner and Elsa saw an empty field with rusty looking play-structures in the distance. Squinting, she noticed moving figures riding around in a gate enclosed space.

_Oh great._

It was obviously the skate park they were headed to. Although Elsa didn't think it could be called a park what with how rundown the place looked the closer they got to it. Dreading entering such a dangerous place, Elsa pulled her friend to a stop.

"Rapunzel, I am not going in that... hazard zone." Elsa could just see the broken bones now. She'd probably be wheeled out onto an ambulance. Or worse, die a virgin.

"Oh come on Els'! Nothing bad is gonna happen." Rapunzel put her hand over her heart and added, "Scout's honor. If you get depacitated-"

"Decapitated."

"-or something by a flying skateboard, I'll... let you cut off all my hair."

Elsa hummed thoughtfully. "Tempting. But I wouldn't be able to do that if my head was not connected to my body."

The shorter blonde's face screwed up and she groaned to the sky. "Alright smartass. I guess I'll just go inspect the potential serial killer myself."

"No! I mean... fine I'll come."

* * *

Anna breathed in the air around her as they entered the skate park. The faint smell of graffiti and worn down wood put a smile on her face as per usual.

_I am in my element._

She scoped out the familiar scene of crowded ramps and rails before her. It wasn't too packed today with skaters. Only a few stragglers were scattered around and lucky for her, the bowl was empty.

_Perfect. I gotta practice my lip tricks-_

"Hey Anna! Kristoff! Over here!"

She looked over to where the yell came from and saw Olaf waving his skateboard in the air at them from across the park. He was balanced precariously on top of a railing but was oblivious to this potential danger as the ecstatic smile never left his face.

Kristoff and she walked over to him and when they were close enough, Olaf hopped off the railing and into their arms. Anna laughed as she returned the tackle hug to help keep her friend steady.

"Geez dude. Warn a guy next time," Kristoff wheezed. He had taken the brunt of that hit. But refrained from being harsh because Olaf's happy attitude was just too infectious.

"Oops. Sorry," Olaf giggled.

Anna was still smiling from the warm greeting and said, "No harm done! Kris' is just too much of a tough guy to admit he actually loves your hugs." That got her a punch to the arm but she laughed it off. "See? He's so touchy feely."

Kristoff glared at them while they laughed at his expense. "Yeah yeah, you're such a comedian. Now hurry up and finish this love fest so we can hit the ramps already."

Seeing as her friend was just as eager as her to skate, Anna dropped her board to the ground and planted her foot on it. "Where's Flynn?" He was part of their crew and always joined them for skate sessions.

"Right behind ya Red." Anna turned to see Flynn rolling up to them with his usual charming grin. "You didn't think you could have fun without me, did you?"

She smiled at him and when he was close enough, pushed him off his board into Kristoff. "Course not."

Kristoff grunted at the impact. "Who else would eat concrete and provide entertainment for us?" He said and pushed Flynn away from him. The brunet just smirked and reached up to pinch Kristoff's cheek.

"Aw, someone woke up on the wrong side of the haystack this morning." Flynn ducked at the hand that almost smacked him upside the head and hopped back on his board. He pushed off the ground and rolled away towards some ramps, laughing gleefully.

Kristoff decided enough was enough. He placed his board on the ground and shouted at his retreating friend, "You're gonna get it pretty boy!" He skated after the brunet.

Olaf looked at Anna confusedly. "Kristoff thinks Flynn is pretty? Does he think I'm pretty too?"

Anna chuckled and replied, "He thinks you're gorgeous."

Olaf squealed with joy. "Yay!" He grabbed Anna's hand and led her to the empty bowl where he set his skateboard. "Now come on! I wanna show you a trick I've been practicing."

They both set up their boards at the edge of the bowl. Olaf immediately leaned forward and dropped in, but Anna paused. She sucked in a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes. Relaxing her muscles, the redhead let all her worries leave her body as she also leaned forward to drop in.

She reveled in the stomach-dropping sensation before evening out on her board. Anna's been doing this for years and her heart still pounds erratically after every drop in. At first it was from fear of falling, but as time passed that fear changed to irreplaceable bliss.

She and Olaf played follow the leader and shredded the bowl together, Olaf leading the way. He went up the side of the bowl and launched into the air. One of his hands grabbed the frontside of his board before landing smoothly back in the bowl. Anna copied him but rotated 360 degrees in the air to add flare to the move.

"Show off!" She heard Kristoff yell from the side.

Anna allowed herself a mental back on the back then continued to mimic Olaf's moves. They went about this game for a few more tricks before Olaf decided to do a stall on the bowl's coping. Meaning he paused on the edge using his trucks. Apparently he forgot Anna was right behind him though because right as he was about to drop back in, Anna rammed into him and all previous coordination was lost.

The pair slid down into the bowl with their limbs tangled up. Groaning and laughing in pain all the way.

Olaf sat up and rubbed his head. "Whoops. Sorry 'bout that." He giggled then winced at the vibration of pain that shot through his head.

Anna attempted to sit up too and felt a twinge in her back.

_Yup. I'm gonna feel that in the morning_.

"It's okay dude. I've had worse." Which was true. Anna had gotten injured so many times in her life that at this point, it would've been strange if she didn't find a few bruises on her body every day.

"You guys okay?" Anna glanced up at Kristoff who was leaning over the bowl with a mixture of concern and amusement on his face.

She nodded at him and carefully stood up. Putting her hand out for Olaf, the redhead pulled him to his feet. They climbed out of the bowl with the help of Kristoff and dusted themselves off.

Anna stretched out her body a bit and said, "Woo! I haven't crashed like that in a while. It was refreshing." She put her hands on her hips and beamed at her friends.

Kristoff scoffed. "Only you would get excited at the prospect of getting hurt."

"Damn right." Anna nodded and scanned the park for a new spot. Across the park at the entrance she noticed Flynn, talking with two girls.

_Probably chatting 'em up._

"What's Prince Charming doing?" She indicated at Flynn with her head.

"Most likely making new _friends_." Kristoff raised his fingers in quotes at 'friends'.

Olaf perked up. "Ooh! Let's go make new friends too." He then sped away from them on his board before either of them could explain what the blond meant.

Anna shook her head with a smile. "I hope Olaf never changes."

Kristoff nodded in agreement. He was watching his friends interact on the other side of the park when an idea sprang into mind. He turned to Anna with a mischievous grin. "Hey, how about you go cockblock Rider from those girls?"

Anna knew that look. She squinted at him. "...How so?"

"Do a showy trick - which shouldn't be hard for you - and draw the attention from him."

"Ohhh." She was down for that. An ego check would do Flynn good. "Alrighty then," she said, "Plan 'make Flynn look like a chump' will now take effect." She rubbed her hands together and prepared for takeoff.

Anna saw a ramp positioned near the group they were discussing and quickly planned out her execution. Once she had it, the redhead pushed off the ground. She kept pumping her leg to pick up speed then firmly planted both her feet on the board. As she sped closer to the ramp, Anna bent her knees.

_Here we go. Look out ladies 'cause you're about to be wowed._

Anna rolled up the ramp and shot into the air. Maneuvering her board with her feet, it flipped under her while her body rotated halfway around. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of platinum blonde hair and sparkling ice, blue eyes.

_Whoa_.

That distracted her for a split second, which was enough to completely throw her body out of its smooth motion.

She felt her board lose its place under her feet and knew crashing was inevitable. Anna's body waved crazily when she saw the source of her distraction in her path. Maybe spazzing out midair would give her the hint to _get out of the way_.

"Oh shi-"

It was too late. The blonde girl was paralyzed in place and Anna plowed into her, sending them both sprawling to the concrete.

* * *

I've been obsessed with Frozen ever since it came out and I am in love with skating. So obviously this story was impossible for me to pass up. And I actually did some planning for this one unlike my Glee story. I really wanna try this time, so I'll balance school junk and this. Please let me know what you think!


	2. Chemicals Collide

Elsa watched Rapunzel flirt with the smirky skater while judging silently from the side. She deduced that while the guy wasn't a total douche, he still had yet to get her full approval.

Not that it mattered. Rapunzel would still canoodle around with him even if Elsa advised her not to.

She tried not to gag when Rapunzel giggled at something Flynn said and twirled a lock of her long hair in her fingers. Quickly growing bored of their conversation, she searched for a new source of entertainment. Luckily, (or unluckily) another boy skated up to them with a wide smile on his face.

"Hi! I'm Olaf!"

Elsa almost yelped when he stopped mere inches from her. She took a step back and regarded the exuberant boy. He was obviously one of those skaters but she tried to be polite first and grinned at his enthusiastic smile. She replied, "Hello. I'm Elsa."

She scanned him from head to toe.

_He doesn't seem dangerous._

Elsa stuck out her hand to him and said, "Nice to meet you Olaf."

Olaf shook her hand happily and his smile grew bigger. He seemed like quite the ball of sunshine.

The blonde was taken by his warmness. Deciding that he was harmless, Elsa tried to start a conversation with him. "So, are you friends with-"

Rattling sounds on the concrete, the whoosh of someone approaching abruptly cut her off.

Elsa turned to her right and gaped at the sight of a girl speeding in her direction on one of those skate death traps.

Said girl went up a ramp near them and Elsa swore they made eye contact for the briefest of seconds. Before the blonde could ponder it though, she froze frightfully. The skater girl was wiggling frantically in the air and still soaring in Elsa's direction.

Elsa held her breath, muscles tensing up as she stood helpless, waiting for impact.

Their bodies met head-on and the force of the flying girl slammed them into the ground. Before they hit, Elsa felt a hand curl around her head and rotate her slightly. She ended up landing half on top of the other girl, her world jarring harshly.

_Jesus Christ. _

Dazed and confused, Elsa tried to lift her head. Her ears were ringing and something was digging into her ribs. Hearing a groan from beneath her, she finally took note of the girl that caused this.

The redhead had her eyes clenched shut, gritting her teeth. She had acted as a pillow for Elsa, therefore getting her back smashed into the concrete.

Elsa might've felt bad if this wasn't her fault in the first place. Remembering that, she tried to sit up and get away from the other girl.

Anna felt a weight being lifted off of her and sighed at the slight relief it caused. Her back was absolutely killing her now. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she'd have gnarly bruises tomorrow.

_Goddamn. Now I look like the chump. _

She felt like one too. Trying to sit up, Anna groaned again when she felt cracks shooting up her spine.

Finally opening her eyes after the pain passed, the first thing Anna noticed was the blonde girl sitting next her, rubbing her stomach and glaring at the redhead.

Oh right, she almost broke someone. And this someone looked pretty pissed off about it.

Anna immediately went into defense mode. "I-I'm so sorry! I swear it was an accident and- I mean of course it was because I would never- I just lost control 'cause you distracted me." She swung her arms frantically and corrected herself, "Not that it's your fault! You're just really pretty and that's why- I mean no! Wait yes, you are pretty- but I'm not hitting on you! I was- you were- oh god."

Elsa's expression softened and she inspected this strange girl. She was using erratic hand motions while her mouth continued to spew defenses.

Elsa raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles. Yes she was still mad, but this girl was just too adorkable.

Anna broke off from her tangent when she heard gentle chuckles. Recognizing that she was being laughed at, she clamped her mouth shut before she could make a bigger fool of herself. Covering her face in mortification, the redhead willed the blush away that was creeping up her cheeks.

Having witnessed this whole incident, Kristoff spoke up, "Congratulations, you're two-for-two collisions today." Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

Flynn piped in too, "Not only that, but you haven't word-vomited this bad since that time I caught you peeking down my mom's shirt."

Of course her friends had been watching this entire spectacle, but only chose _now_ to butt in for mocking purposes.

Anna glared daggers at the brunet. "Shut it, _Eugene_," she spat, smirking victoriously when his body stiffened.

_Yeah, not laughing now huh?_

Rapunzel had been checking Elsa for injuries, but stopped and turned to Flynn wide-eyed. "Your name is Eugene?! That is so cute!" She squealed.

Flynn was too busy staring down Anna to acknowledge her though. His eyes narrowed and he hissed at her, "Low blow, dude."

Anna just made a face at him. He had started it anyway.

She directed her attention back to the girl she crashed into and was momentarily stunned. The blonde before her was absolutely gorgeous. Anna felt her guilt double at almost hurting such a fragile looking beauty.

The skater realized she didn't even know this girl's name. "Hi," she said meekly and stuck her hand out, "I'm Anna. What's your name?"

Elsa's eyebrow arched incredulously. Was she serious? "It's a little late for introductions, dontcha' think?"

Anna frowned and lowered her hand. "Um, no? I mean, I know I didn't give the best first impression," Elsa scoffed at that, "but stick around and I promise you'll like my second." The redhead tilted her head sideways and offered up a goofy grin.

Elsa scrutinized her and the skater shifted uncomfortably. The blonde's gaze was intense enough to make Anna want to bury herself in the ground. Thinking she blew her chance, Anna's shoulders slumped. She made to stand up but was stopped by a sudden hand in her face.

At Anna's confused look, Elsa said expectantly, "Well? Were you raised in a barn or are you gonna shake my hand?"

Anna blinked. Then smiled.

* * *

"_One day squirt," he said to the ten year old, "You're gonna find someone who makes you so happy that… that you'll feel like you have wings."_

_Anna turned her gaze away from the sky to regard him curiously. "Like to fly?"_

_He grinned. "Yeah," he whispered, "Wings to fly."_

"_Where?" She asked, ever the inquisitive kid._

_He continued to watch the clouds for bit. Allowing the answer to meander in his head. "To the stars. To a land where you never have to grow up. You can just be together forever."_

_Anna's face twisted in confusion. "Forever's a really long time. Won't we miss dinner?"_

_He chuckled at her innocence. "You'll know what I mean when it happens."_

* * *

She shook the hand offered to her. Elsa smiled back and introduced herself, "I'm Elsa."

If Anna planned on replying, she sure as hell didn't do it. Too distracted by the coldness of the blonde's hands, the skater went mute. At least, she told herself the reason she froze up was because of the cold. It's not like the soft skin rubbing against her rough hands elicited tingles to course through her fingers and lace up her chest so that it constricted briefly or anything.

Nope. Definitely not.

Realizing that she's probably been holding the girl's hand for too long, Anna whipped it away and discreetly wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts.

She cleared her throat, trying to find her voice. "Ah-um," she averted her eyes from the striking ones watching her, "How- how come I haven't seen you around here before?"

Elsa eyed her silently, delaying her answer. She was unknowingly making Anna squirm again. The redhead never did handle awkward silences too well.

Finally she said, "I usually try to avoid dangerous situations," she swept her hand around the area before them, "As you can see, that isn't working out too well."

Anna chuckled awkwardly. "Heh, yeah… sorry about that again." She was going to beat herself up over that for ages.

Elsa could practically feel the waves of guilt Anna was emitting. She decided to go easy on the girl.

_For now_, she thought.

"It's fine." _Well not really_. "I'm sure you're usually more coordinated than that."

The blonde felt the last of her irritation fade away when Anna beamed at her. She could get used to praising the girl for her mistakes if the redhead smiled at her like that more often.

Kristoff, having overheard that last comment, butted in, "Ha! Yeah right. Anna _not_ being a klutz? There's a better chance of Flynn never looking at his reflection ever again."

Flynn scowled at his friend. "Or it's more likely that you'll actually bathe every once in a while."

"I bathe!" Kristoff protested. Then added, "Usually."

Everyone not-so-subtlety distanced themselves from the blond. Who threw his hands up in defeat.

Anna tuned out her friends' squabbling that she had grown accustomed to. A certain platinum blonde was at the front of her attention.

She struggled to continue their conversation. Anna was a little embarrassed to admit that she had already become addicted to the sound of the girl's voice. And she had only spoken a few sentences.

Speaking of, it looked like she was about to say more.

_Pay attention Anna!_

"Would you help me up?"

Her brain took a while to process what was being asked of her. Was this beauty really asking Anna to touch her?

_Not like that you perv._

Mentally shaming herself, Anna quickly complied and helped the blonde to her feet. She took a step back while Elsa dusted herself off because the girl's scent was too tantalizing.

Elsa grinned in thanks.

Anna denied the skip of her heartbeat.

* * *

I'm excited for this story! I hope you get excited too.

P.S. If you want an idea of what human Olaf looks like, here's a link: 31 . media . tumblr cdba75238d35c54216e50637b68db9bb/tumblr_mqg9yrMjrx1scse97o1_1280 . jpg


	3. 99 Problems

Anna couldn't focus in class if she tried.

Well, she usually doesn't try anyways. But this time she had a valid excuse.

She had been transfixed on Elsa the whole class period.

_Pale blonde hair. Rich voice. And her eyes. _

She shivered, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.

_Damn, her eyes._

The cool blue of Elsa's eyes mesmerized Anna. The way they glowed intensely, revealing the blonde's composed nature. Anna wanted to explore the depths of Elsa's eyes and the memories they have stored.

Anna could've spent the rest of the day lost in thought about the blonde if it weren't for the bell ringing. As usual she tried to book it out of the classroom, but the voice of her teacher stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Hansen."

_Dammit. Almost made it. _

Anna slowly pivoted to face her teacher. Hesitantly she responded, "Yes?" She was holding back her gut instinct to bolt out of there. The redhead's eyes shifted to Elsa, who quirked her lips at Anna as she walked out of the classroom.

Mr. Oaken cleared his throat to divert her attention back to him. He motioned her over to his desk. Wondering what she did this time, Anna approached cautiously. Did he see her throw that paper airplane?

Before Mr. Oaken could speak again, Anna was already defending herself. "I swear I didn't mean to throw that plane Mr. Oaken. It was an accident!"

The man raised a hand to silence her. "No dear it's not- wait, what plane?"

Anna shrunk into herself and fiddled with her hands. "Ah, heh." She coughed awkwardly. "Oh, _nothing_." Dismissing the statement with a wave of her hand.

Mr. Oaken hummed doubtfully, but decided to forget it for the moment. There was something more pressing to discuss. "I've noticed you haven't been paying much attention in my class."

_Did I ever?_

Biting her tongue, Anna instead replied, "Sorry. It won't happen again." The sooner she could get out of here the better, so she told him what he wanted to hear.

"Mhm. That's what you said last time." He crossed his arms over his hulking chest.

Anna's face reddened guiltily. Apparently that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Your grade is slipping Anna." Her teacher dug through a stack of papers on his desk and said, "This is last week's test." He pulled a paper out of the stack and handed it to her.

Anna almost dropped her belongings when she saw the grade at the top of the paper.

"D-minus?!" She yelled, "I got a _D-minus_?!"

"This is what happens when you don't study, dear."

"I stu-" Anna cut herself off at his disbelieving look. "Okay so I didn't study."

This can't happen. She was barely passing her other classes as it is. And if she starts failing? Well, she can just kiss freedom goodbye because there is no way her parents would let her leave her room once they found out.

Ugh, why did school have to be so damn hard?

"Mr. Oaken I promise I'll do better! I'll- I'll fall asleep in geometry instead! Yeah, that way I'll be wide awake in here." She stared at him desperately, hoping the excuse would solve the problem.

"Failing your other classes won't help anything."

_Not unless I'm strategic about it. _

Anna groaned, frustrated. "Well then, what else can I do?" She was grasping for help now.

"For starters, and no offense dear, but you don't seem to understand the material on your own."

Anna pouted. "Offense taken," she muttered.

"So," Mr. Oaken sighed, "If you want to get your grade up, I suggest a tutor."

"A tutor?" Was she hearing correctly? "I don't have time for a tutor." Between skating, eating, skating, sleeping, skating, and just _life_ by itself, she couldn't afford to squeeze in school stuff. Much less a tutor.

Her teacher started packing his things. "Then make time." He gave her a warning look. "Or else you'll be spending more of it in this class. Next year."

He snapped his briefcase shut. The click finalizing the end of the discussion.

Anna left the room in a despaired daze.

* * *

The previous conversation played on repeat in her head. Thoughts of failing plagued her mind and distracted her from successfully landing any tricks.

The redhead tried once again to nosegrind down a stair rail, only to bail before her board could touch the ground. It rolled away from her, almost mocking, while she sat on the ground rubbing her ankle.

"Dammit!" She stood up furiously, ignoring the discomfort in her ankle and limped to retrieve her board. "Frickin' _dammit_!"

At her outburst, Kristoff glanced up from where he was tightening his trucks. He noticed earlier when they arrived at the skate park that Anna was in a foul mood. She had huffed and puffed, staring grimly ahead on the ride over while he watched from the side concernedly. And a little scared.

So he made the wise decision to avoid voicing his observations.

But now Anna was getting mad. And as friendly as she may come off as, once her temper is lit it's not pleasant to be around.

He decided to walk over to her before he could talk himself out of it. Maybe a little best friend chit-chat would snap her out of this funk.

As the blond got closer, he could barely make out Anna's mutterings to herself.

"... can't even land one... such a loser... he'd be disappointed..."

Hearing his friend talk down about herself gave him that last push to confront her. Hesitating only slightly, Kristoff put his hand on Anna's shoulder.

She gasped, whirling around and almost taking out a chunk of Kristoff's head with her board.

Kristoff just barely avoided being hit. "Jesus! Anna!" He did a quick body check for injuries. "What the hell?"

The redhead slumped. Her thoughts were starting to take their toll on her. If she was on the brink of accidentally hurting someone, Anna knew she needed to calm down before her stress levels rose any higher.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. She toed the ground with her shoe, hands gripping her board like a lifeline.

Kristoff inspected her worriedly. Anna seemed so out of it. "What's up?" He asked, "Why are you bailing tricks you could do in your sleep?"

The redhead bit her lip, then heaved a sigh, "I might fail chemistry." Just saying it out loud brought another bout of shame upon her.

Kristoff blinked. "That's it?" _That_ was why she nearly beheaded him?

Anna snapped her head up and glared at him. "What do you mean that's it? _Of course_ that's it! This 'it' is very important!" Anna threw her hands up in exasperation, almost hitting Kristoff again.

The blond wisely took a step back to prevent any more potential injuries. Once there was a sufficient amount of space between them, he spoke again, "I mean, yeah that sucks, but don't you think you're overreacting?"

Anna's face turned red and Kristoff thought he was actually going to get hit this time, but no sooner did her irritation flare was it simmering down. The redhead's posture wilted and she looked so sad that Kristoff regretted ever bringing anything up. He contemplated why this was beating Anna up so much but couldn't come up with an answer.

Good thing Anna chimed in with one. "If I start failing, then I'll have to take the class again next year. And if I take it next year, I might not get enough credits to graduate." Her eyes bore into his, trying to convey her struggle. "I _have_ to graduate Kristoff. For… well ya know."

With a sharp intake of breath Kristoff understood.

"_Oh_." He shuffled in place and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Is it 'cause-" A nod from Anna. "And he never-" Another nod. This time more firm. A sign that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Okay, well... do you want help studying or something? 'Cause I'm tellin' you right now that I don't have the best grades either." He laughed at himself, hoping the joke would lighten her up.

Anna cracked a grin, making her friend sigh in relief. "Don't worry. I'm smart enough to know not to come to you for school help," she teased.

"Ouch!" Kristoff clutched his chest in mock agony. "Right in the heart!"

Anna giggled and felt a fraction of her grief lift off her shoulders. It was nice to relax with her friend considering the stress that's piling on her. She hoped things didn't get any more hectic-

"Well, hello there old friends! Long time no see."

Anna's blood ran cold. An immediate headache surfaced and pulsed painfully through her brain. She internally prayed and prayed that her ears were deceiving her. That the person who owned that voice was not...

"Hans," She snarled.

A chuckle sounded from behind her. "I see you haven't forgotten me."

Anna rotated slowly, glowering at him the second his smiling face came into view.

Hans nodded at her. "Anna. You still look stunning." She didn't move a muscle. Just continued to stare him down, waiting for something to happen.

He acknowledged Kristoff politely too, "Kristopher."

The blond clenched his hands into fists and growled, "Mutton chops."

If the nickname bothered Hans, he didn't show it. Never giving anything away, acting as if every insult hurled at him was something he could brush off his shoulder. His face remained passive, a polite expression plastered on.

Anna wasn't falling for it. Not this time.

The tension was beginning to choke her, all her anger from a minute ago building back up. She felt like it was about to explode, come frothing off her lips in violent bursts.

Kristoff cracked before she did. He jerked forward at Hans, who didn't flinch. "What the hell do you want?!"

Hans inspected Kristoff calmly. "Now, now. Can't I visit some buds from the past?" His eyebrow rose condescendingly.

At the mention of the past, Anna's rage boiled over and she roared at him. "Cut the crap Hans! Why are you here?!" Her yells echoed around the park, alerting others of the commotion. Including her two other friends who had yet to notice Hans' appearance.

Hans put a hand daintily over his heart, giving Anna the picture perfect face of hurt. His crushed expression only lasted a moment longer, before it began to morph. His pouting lips curled up menacingly, flashing a row of perfect teeth, glinting dangerously in the sunlight. Once calm eyes now leered at her. The destruction of his treachery reflecting back at her knowingly.

"Like I said, I just wanted to drop by." He chuckled again, this time more wickedly.

Anna and Kristoff didn't let up on their glares at him, too angry to respond.

After hearing Anna's yell, Flynn and Olaf hurried over to see what was happening. Upon seeing the familiar - yet unwanted - face of Hans, they took their place behind Kristoff and Anna protectively.

"What's Elvis burns doing here?" Flynn asked. He wrapped a shielding arm around Anna's shoulders.

"We dunno. He hasn't told us yet with his _lying douchebag mouth_," said Kristoff.

Hans smirked at him, replying sarcastically, "How eloquent." He turned his back on them, folding his hands behind his back and examined the skate park. After judging silently, he glanced at them and said, "Still skating in this dump." It wasn't a question. He was stating it as a fact, causing Kristoff to take a step toward him. Olaf lightly grabbed the back of his shirt, a silent warning to not start any violence.

Anna's headache had magnified with every passing second in Hans' presence. Grinding her teeth, she said, "If you're just here to be a pain in the ass, _leave_."

Hans tsked at her and dared to take a step closer. Anna felt Flynn's arm tighten around her. "Where are your manners Anna?" Hans' voice dripped mockingly. "I don't remember you being so crass."

She bared her teeth at him, slipping out of Flynn's hold and getting in Hans' space. She caught a flicker of surprise on his face before it disappeared. A small smirk appeared on hers, glad that she could still get a reaction out of him. She tightened her right hand into a fist, watching his eyes glance down at it.

He straightened his back more and said, "I don't wish to spend any more time in this junkyard." He made sure to lock eyes with all of them before saying his final words, "See you all at the skatefest." Turning with flourish, he waltzed out of their territory.

A collective sigh echoed through the four friends. Anna spun away from the concerned stares of her friends, and hopped back on her board.

_Great. As if I didn't have enough to worry about._

Her headache was back.

* * *

I think I dropped enough hints this chapter...

Also, sorry for any mistakes, I was in a rush to post this. Which is why this chapter may also seem rushed.


	4. Private Fears in Public Places

_"Peter it hurts!" Anna cried. She was clutching her bloody knee. Rocking back and worth on the pavement next to an immobile skateboard._

_"I-I know kid," he tried to comfort her, "but it'll go away in a while. I promise!"_

_Anna sniffled. "No it won't. You said you wouldn't let me fall!" A sob worked its way up her throat. "You lied!"_

_He felt his heart squeeze painfully at having caused those tears. "I'm sorry Anna." He put his hand on top of hers. "I swear I didn't mean to let you fall. It was an accident! I'll never let it happen again!"_

_She angled away from him, tears still streaming down her cheeks, but her sobs had quieted down. He had said he would catch her. He said he would never leave her side._

_She had asked him a hundred times that day to teach her how to skateboard. Saying how she wanted to have fun too, how she wanted to be just like him. He finally gave in after endless hours of pestering, but really only kept denying her because it amused him._

_Thinking it would be a piece of cake to teach her the basics, he let her hop on his board with the promise that he'd make sure she didn't fall. He held her hands in his, slowly nudging her down the sidewalk, smiling at the elated face the young girl had given him after successfully rolling a few feet._

_"I'm doing it Peter! I'm doing it!" She yelled excitedly._

_He smiled proudly and cheered her on. "You sure are! Come on, let's go a little more downhill." He was happy too that she was getting the hang of it so quickly, so he kept leading her down the path._

_Anna wobbled a bit when she picked up speed. A gasp leaving her lips when she felt his hands let go of hers. "Peter!" She exclaimed. The feeling of fun being replaced with fear._

_He was jogging next to her now. Panting out to reassure her, "It's okay kid! I gotcha!"_

_Not exactly believing himself, he tried to stay with her pace. She was skating unsteadily now, waving her arms this way and that._

_Anna screamed. "I'm gonna fall! Catch me!"_

_He reached out to do just that, but right then his foot stepped off the curb, making him trip onto the street. Landing with his hands out, he hit the concrete with an 'oof'. _

_Palms scraped and burning, he scrambled up quickly to catch up with Anna. Too far behind, he could only watch hopelessly as she gave one last swing of her arms before flying off the skateboard and into the pavement._

_Hearing her scream of agony tore through him like a knife. Sprinting the rest of the distance to her, he dropped next to her with a heavy heart. Ready to help, but unsure of what to do, he hovered his hands around her._

_He still didn't know what to do as Anna continued to ignore him. Her rocking had stopped and so had the tears, but unfortunately her knee was still a bloody mess._

_In an attempt to get her to look at him, he tried apologizing again. "I'm really sorry Anna." He tilted his head to catch her eyes. "You know I would never hurt you, right?" He waited for any acknowledgment, almost crying in relief when she weakly nodded._

_"Then you also know that I didn't mean to let you fall," he reasoned. Still not quite trusting him, Anna curled into herself and avoided his gaze._

_He sighed sadly, knowing gaining her forgiveness was going to take more than an apology._

_The older boy contemplated his next move, keeping his eyes on the little redhead. A light bulb went off and he straightened up, calling for Anna once more. _

_"Hey." He nudged her gently. "Hey Anna."_

_"What?" She mumbled. Gloomy expression still in place._

_"You wanna look at the stars?" He asked, hiding his smile when she glanced up confusedly._

_"It's not night time. There isn't any stars," she argued petulantly._

_"Well sure there are." He tapped under her chin with his finger, then pointed upwards. "Just look up."_

_She did as instructed, frowning at the clear blue sky. "Nuh-uh. See, I told you." She glared at him and stuck her tongue out. He chuckled lightly and nodded. _

_"Yeah I guess there aren't any real stars." He agreed. "But what I meant is the stars are still there. Even though you can't see them."_

_Anna's face scrunched up at his mumbo jumbo talk. He did this a lot. And yet Anna continually fell into it._

_"Those are clouds Peter," she said. The unspoken 'duh' making a presence._

_He waved off her comment and continued. "But the stars are still there, aren't they? If they keep coming back every night, they must still be in the sky. Right?"_

_He stared at her imploringly, waiting for the spark of understanding in her eyes. Seeing none, he tried to explain further, "Remember how happy the stars make you feel? 'Cause they're always there?" Anna nodded. "Just because you can't see them all the time, doesn't mean they go away. You still wait for them every night, knowing they'll be there." He grinned at her crookedly. "And do they ever let you down?"_

_She giggled lightly and shook her head. They never did let her down. Kinda like Peter-_

_"Oh!" Anna gasped, finally comprehending. "They're like you!"_

_He beamed at her. "That's right! Even though I mess stuff up sometimes, I make it better too." He looked at her more seriously. "Because I care about you kid, and I wanna always be there for you."_

_Anna held his stare and smiled. "Okay."_

_"Okay?" He asked. She nodded at him again. "Alright! Great!" He stood up suddenly, picking Anna up with him under her knees and back. She yelped and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Then giggled as he turned them around and started walking back up the hill._

_A few moments of silent walking and then Anna spoke up. "Thank you for being my stars Peter."_

* * *

"Maybe we should egg his house again," Flynn suggested, already bouncing in his seat at the idea.

Kristoff took a bite of his sandwich and shook his head frantically. Flynn frowned and asked, "Why not?" In his opinion, that asshole deserved anything that was thrown at him.

It was lunch time and the group of friends were discussing yesterday's unfortunate run-in with Hans. After much speculation, they were having trouble coming up with answers about why he decided to show his face at their park. Although the one thing they were certain about was this; Hans was messing with them again. Or planning on it. So if he attacked them in anyway, they were going to be ready. With eggs, apparently.

"It'll just set off another prank war," said Kristoff.

"So? What's your point?"

Rolling his eyes, the blond said, "My point is that the last time we went to war with him, things got messy. Olaf almost lost a limb. And some hair."

Olaf paused in eating his lunch. A spark of a memory hit him and he stared ahead at nothingness for a second, then shuddered. "So much glue," he whispered.

"Oh yeah..." Flynn made a face, remembering that horrific incident. "Well then, what should we do?"

Olaf shrugged. "Maybe we shouldn't do anything." Personally, he didn't like any kind of violence. So avoiding it was always his first suggestion.

Nodding along with Olaf, Kristoff said, "I agree. We barely scraped by last time. And Hans is a tricky motherfucker, he probably only got trickier since the last time we saw him."

"Hmmm." Still thinking they needed to take action before the enemy, Flynn consulted Anna. Surely she would back him up, being the one that hated Hans the most. "What do you think Red? Fight or flight?"

The girl didn't answer him. Or show any indication that she heard him at all. He noticed that her eyes were glazed over staring off to her left and her food was untouched. Flynn followed her gaze and once he saw what she was looking at, or _who_, he scoffed.

From the point when they sat down at their table to now, Anna's eyes had been glued to Elsa. Who was sitting only two tables away.

Anna had been contributing to her friends' conversation a few minutes ago. But the moment she caught sign of platinum hair shining under fluorescent lights, she checked out.

Elsa was just so captivating. Slick braid done to perfection, seemingly flawless pale skin, and from what Anna remembers from the day of their crash, a light layer of freckles dusted across her face. And how she held it all together so effortlessly with this almost regal air about her. Like she belonged somewhere actually worthy of her presence, not some dingy high school.

The redhead sighed when Elsa laughed at something her friend said, the blonde covering her mouth to contain it.

"Earth to Princess Drool." A hand waved in front of Anna's face, blocking her lovely view.

She jumped back from it, heart pumping from being shocked out of her daze. Anna looked around wildly, trying to remember where she was.

"Whoa there feisty pants," Kristoff said. He grabbed her shoulder to stop her flailing.

Anna calmed down, finally taking the time to assess her friends. They were all staring at her expectantly. "What?" She asked.

The three boys exchanged glances then focused back on Anna. Feeling trapped under their judging eyes, Anna more anxious this time asked, "What?! What are you staring at?"

Flynn fixed her with a knowing look. "I think the question is, what are _you_ staring at?"

"I wa- huh?"

"Don't play dumb with us Red. That's Kristoff's job," said Flynn.

"Yea tha- hey!" Kristoff cried. Flynn ignored him.

Anna shifted her eyes between the two, trying to formulate words that would get them off her back.

Olaf jumped in thankfully. "Were you staring at that pretty girl again?" Check that- _unthankfully_.

Before she could respond, Flynn said, "Of course she was dude. Just look at all that drool." He twirled his finger around her face, which was beginning to heat up.

"No I-"

"Ohh okay. She also had those googley eyes." Olaf mimicked what she guessed she must've looked like a minute prior, smushing his cheeks with his hands and widening his eyes until they almost popped.

Her friends laughed at his impression but she was getting flustered. Couldn't they let her get a word in? She had important things to say. Like that she wasn't giving anyone googley eyes.

Kristoff noticed her frustration and quieted down before she blew a gasket. Realizing Anna needed support and not teasing, he kicked Flynn under the table to shut him up.

Flynn jumped and yelled, "Ow!" Kristoff glared at him sternly, jerking his head at Anna's annoyed face.

The brunet sighed and decided to save the jokes for another time. _Fine fine_, he mouthed at Kristoff.

"So Anna," he began regally, "why don't you tell us about this fine lady you've been ogling. Hmm?" Alright, so not _all_ the jokes.

She flapped her mouth at him like a fish. "I was not _ogling_," she defended, acting scandalized that Flynn would suggest such a thing.

He snorted. "Oh please. Spare me the lies sweetheart." Raising an eyebrow, the brunet sat back in his seat with his arms crossed, challenging Anna to deny it again.

She held his glare for a few seconds before breaking. "Okay maybe I was staring a little-"

"Ha!"

"-but only a little!"

Trying to stop an argument from brewing, Kristoff butt in. "Maybe you should talk to her," he suggested.

A second head must've sprouted from his neck because that is the only thing that would warrant the look Anna is giving him. "Are you insane?!" She slammed her hands on the table. "I can't just talk to her!"

"Why not?"

Anna opened her mouth but nothing came out.

_Why not?_

She clicked it shut, contemplating his question. "Because... because..." Deflating, the redhead finally admitted with a sigh, "Because I can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Of course you can! You got a mouth dontcha?" Flynn exclaimed.

"It's not that simple."

"Sure it is! Look, I'll even help you." He slid out of his seat, around the table and next to Anna. He slung his arm over her and said, "Trust me. I'm the king with the ladies."

"Um, no thanks," she lifted his arm off of her, "I don't want girl advice from _you_ of all people."

"Why? I'm great with girls."

"Then why don't you go tell Rapunzel how _great_ you are with girls?" Anna smirked at the immediate stiffening of his body.

He narrowed his eyes. "Touché."

"Okay, okay. Ladies you're both pretty," Kristoff waved between them to cut up any tension.

Olaf turned to the blond. "Am I pretty?" He asked, tilting his head at Kristoff.

Pausing, Kristoff stared Olaf right in the eye and said seriously, "Olaf, you're the prettiest of them all."

Olaf brightened and went back to munching on his lunch happily.

Kristoff directed his attention back to Anna and said, "As for you, my idea still stands that you should go talk to her."

She slouched in her chair and whined. "But I don't wanna!"

"Yes you do."

"Okay I do," she confessed, "But I'm scared."

"What's there to be scared of? She's just a girl." Flynn reasoned.

Anna's eyes slid back over to Elsa like a magnet. Quickly getting lost in a trance, the redhead sighed dreamily, "She's not _just_ a girl."

Observing the way Anna admired Elsa, Kristoff asked her, "So what do you like about her?"

"Hmm?" She hummed absentmindedly.

"What do you like about her that makes her not just a girl?"

Still studying Elsa and her every movement, Anna replied, "She's gorgeous."

Kristoff nodded and asked, "What else?"

"Umm," Anna straightened up a bit, "She's so pretty, but like... like a queen or something," she gasped, "And her eyes! Oh my god they're the beautifullest of all."

Kristoff shared a glance with Flynn. "Okay... what about her personality?"

Finally breaking away from Elsa, Anna said, "Huh?"

Her friend arched an incredulous eyebrow. "Do you like anything about her apart from her looks?"

"What?" Anna yelled, "Of course! I'm not shallow Kristoff!"

He brought his hands up in surrender, "Okay sorry. You just don't seem to know anything about her except that she's pretty."

Anna shrunk down and let his words sit in her head. Meekly protesting, she mumbled, "Well... she is."

"We're aware," Flynn droned.

Kristoff added, "But you can't just like her because of her pretty face if you want her to like you back." He examined at her closely. "You do want her to like you back, right?"

Anna nodded slowly.

"Then go talk to her!" Him and Flynn yanked her out of her seat and shoved her in the direction of Elsa's table. Anna tried to resist but with another hard push, she stumbled away. When she looked back at them pleadingly, they held firm and Kristoff pointed at the table. The redhead looked ready to have a nervous breakdown but she obeyed.

Anna slowly but surely made her way to Elsa's table, Flynn and Kristoff monitoring closely. After making sure Anna was a good distance away, Flynn turned to Kristoff and asked, "When did you become a love expert?"

He shrugged. "My Pabbie watches a lot of soap operas," he motioned at Flynn to be quiet, "Now shut it and watch Anna."

They fixated on Anna, who had made it to the table and was just standing there, fiddling with her hands. Olaf got up to stand with them and they all watched with baited breath.

This could either go excellent or crash and burn.

* * *

So... a little more backstory. Or not. I guess you're the judge of that.

Also, Dear OneShotMasta: That wasn't the hint I was talking about. ;) But nice guess!


	5. I May Fall

_You can do this. You can do this._

Anna's legs were on a clumsy autopilot as she attempted to mentally pump herself up. Her shaky steps continued their nerve-wracking path. Drumming heart as unsteady as her walk, the redhead grasped onto her shirt like a lifeline, and also as a towel to dry her sweaty palms. She felt the material grow slightly damp and shook her hands out as she drew closer to her destination.

This was probably all in her head, but it felt like every pair of eyes in the cafeteria were on her, wondering what the hell she was doing. She was wondering the same thing.

_You can't do this. You __**can't**__ do this._

* * *

Shifting her salad around with a fork, Elsa listened half-heartedly as her friends gossiped about something or other. This wasn't unusual, her zoning out of conversations to drift in her own thoughts. Sometimes their chatter just didn't keep her interested for long.

Although, she must've been more unresponsive than usual because now when they tried to get her attention, it had taken longer for her to break out of her musings.

"Hellooooo?" Rapunzel snapped her fingers in Elsa's face, finally managing to guide her back into reality.

Blinking rapidly, Elsa took notice of the curious eyes of her friends on her. "Sorry, what?" She asked, searching her brain back to the last thing she heard them talking about.

A chorus of sighs greeted her question, making her flare with embarrassment internally, but she composed herself on the surface. Acting as if they were overreacting and her lapse of attention was justified.

"Too good for us princess? You can't even acknowledge you're dearest friends," Megara said, shaking her head and tsking at the blonde, "Shameful, utterly shameful." The brunette's comment got a few giggles out of her friends, except Elsa.

She glared at Megara mockingly, resisting the urge to fling a soggy crouton at her. "That's _queen_ to you, Meg." Elsa sniffed haughtily, jutting out her chin, "You should bow at my feet."

"I'd be honored," Megara deadpanned.

Not holding back this time, Elsa picked up a crouton from her tray and flicked it at the smirking brunette, who easily dodged it and grinned wider.

"You gotta work on your aim, _your majesty_."

Finally cracking a smile, Elsa laughed along with her friends. While it was contenting to lose herself in her head, she'd much rather be laughing with her friends.

Her chuckles quieted down and she went back to picking at her lunch. "So, what were we talking about?" She asked.

"Well _we_, minus you," said Rapunzel, "were discussing my absolutely amazing date with Eugene!" She did a happy dance in her seat, practically squealing out the end of her sentence.

Megara scoffed. "I still can't believe that's his real name."

"I think it's fitting," said Belle. Her and Rapunzel shared a smile, the blonde agreeing excitedly, "Oh, I know right?"

"Of course you would think that," Meg rolled her eyes, "'Cause it's nerdy. And you're like the essence of everything nerd."

Belle scowled at her friend. "You mean _intelligence_."

"I know what I said."

Elsa chimed in, "What's so bad about being nerdy?" As far as she knew, nerdy meant being smart. And Elsa has had straight A's since the womb so she was definitely offended by her friend's words.

"It's not bad _per se_. Just... uncool." The brunette shrugged. She was only stating the facts.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at her. "So you think I'm uncool?"

"Nah, you make up for it with your pretty face."

The blonde rolled her eyes. Megara could be a bit brash (ok _a lot_ brash) but for some reason she tolerated it. "Remind me why we're friends again?"

Belle raised her finger. "I'd like a refresher too," she said.

Meg sat up straighter and stated like it was obvious, "Because you guys love me." She waved her hand around nonchalantly, "And I keep it real."

"More like keep it insulting," Elsa said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm helping you build character. If anything, you should be _thanking_ me for my friendship." The brunette lounged back in her chair, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Belle rubbed her forehead, feeling a migraine coming on. "I'd be thankful if it was a more practical friendship."

"But that's so _boring_."

Rapunzel waved her arms in front of them wildly. "Uh hello? Yeah, remember me? Rapunzel, the apparently invisible girl?" She tried to get them back on track. "Can we get back to me?" She demanded.

"Yeah, yeah we got it Punzie. Your nerd-prince is handsome. He's totes amazing. You guys are _soul mates_." Megara threw her hands up, "Can we move on?"

Rapunzel slouched in her seat, pouting at the table. "Why are you such a negative nelly?"

"Ne- what? I won't even dignify that with a response."

"Thank god," Belle muttered. Megara whipped her head around to glare at her, to which Belle returned it with full force.

While those two battled it out, Elsa turned to Rapunzel and nudged her foot under the table. When the other blonde looked up, Elsa gave her a small smile and pointed a thumb at their bickering friends.

She widened her eyes and whispered, "Those two, right?"

Her friend bit her lip and giggled quietly. "They're like an old married couple."

Elsa laughed with her and nodded. Glad that she could cheer her friend up, she then asked, "Speaking of couples... how did the date go?" She really was interested in what the other girl had to say, so when Rapunzel sat up excitedly, she was all ears.

Elsa could tell this was going to be a long answer when the blonde took a deep breath and started, "Ok, so-"

"Um, e-excuse me?"

Rapunzel deflated at another interruption, opting to just slump in her seat for the remainder of lunch if no one was going to let her get a word in.

Elsa turned to the voice and her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Her stomach jumped at the sight of Anna standing next to the table stiffly, twiddling her hands and inspecting the ground rather than whomever she just addressed.

The girl glanced up, but the second she caught Elsa's eyes her body seemed to jolt and she lowered her head again. Confused by this behavior, Elsa considered questioning her about why she was here if she wasn't going to say anything. After their crash, the skater had gone off on a defensive rant, so Elsa knew she had the words in her. But something was obviously stopping her from using them this time.

The blonde opened her mouth to ask her, but someone else beat her to it.

"You gonna stand there all day or say something girly?" Of course it was Megara.

Anna must've gotten whiplash from how quickly she looked up. She winced at a crack in her neck and reached up to rub it. "Ahh, um." Now she was rubbing out of nervousness. "I just, uh-"

"_Ah, um, uh,_" Megara mocked, "Real words please."

Rapunzel elbowed her and whispered, "Stop Meg. Before she passes out."

"Well she's jus' standing there! Can't she speak?" Meg jerked her head at Anna and asked, "Hey, Red, can you talk?"

Anna gaped like a fish, mouth opening and closing, desperately trying to form words. When Meg started snapping her fingers at Anna to goad her into speaking, Elsa's face darkened. "Knock it off Meg!" She snapped.

Megara looked shocked at Elsa's outburst for a moment, not used to the sharp tone of her voice. Then her expression changed and she narrowed her gaze, studying the blonde intently. Elsa gripped her knees as not to fidget and tried to hold her friend's stare. Meg's eyes burned into her as she attempted to figure out Elsa's problem. "What's up with you?" She questioned with a frown. It wasn't like Elsa to jump to random people's defense.

Said girl squirmed in her seat and replied, "Nothing I-" she cleared her throat, "You don't have to be rude _all_ the time."

"We'd prefer if it was none of the time," said Belle.

Megara glared at both of them. "How many times do I haveta tell you, I'm not being rude-"

"-_you're being honest_," they chorused back at her. Belle added, "We know. But with you there isn't much of a difference."

"Okay, do you wanna go-"

"Enough!" Elsa interrupted them. She saw that Anna had grown increasingly more nervous from witnessing their little argument. The redhead was bouncing on her toes anxiously, seemingly waiting for someone to snap at her next. Worry gnawed at Elsa's insides, afraid that Anna might collapse under her nervousness.

"Did you need something Anna?" She asked politely.

At the sound of her name passing through those luscious lips, echoing throughout her whole body and making her heart pump faster, Anna jolted to attention and faced Elsa. Except she kept her gaze just below the blonde's eyes, on her collar, to avoid being distracted by the hypnotic, blue orbs.

And yet she still ended up acting like a stuttering mess. "I-uh, well," Anna heard an impatient cough come from the mean brunette, so she tried harder to formulate actual words. Sucking in a deep breath, she said the first thing that came to mind, "What's up?"

_Really Anna? REALLY?_

If Elsa's dubious expression was anything to go by, she was thinking the same thing.

Anna was quick to try and fix her mistakes, but her brain couldn't keep up with her mouth. "I meant like, like up! Ya know, uh, up there? B-because you're so tall and stuff so it's different. Not bad different! Just like, a tall different. Which is totally good! Awesome, actually! Um..."

Her eyes scanned the group of girls, taking in their incredulous silence. That was probably not a good sign. Maybe she should talk more?

"I'm sorry. That probably offended you didn't it? Oh god it did. I swear I didn't mean anything bad! Just that you're tall. And pretty," her face immediately reddened, "Wait no! Not pretty!"

Elsa's face scrunched up, a frown taking residence on her face. Well if she wasn't offended before, she definitely was now.

"Okay, yes, pretty. But not in a creepy way. I mean- you're not a pretty in a creepy way, I jus' didn't mean it in a creepy way. But don't worry! You're still pretty!"

Face heating up even more, Anna desperately scrambled for the correct words. It seemed too late though, like nothing could save her from this pit of embarrassment she dug for herself.

Feeling bad for the girl and a bit overwhelmed by her, Elsa decided to throw her a bone, hoping it would stop Anna from rambling any more. "Um, thank you." _I think_.

An obnoxious laugh sounded near them, and they turned to see Megara staring at Anna with wide eyes, obviously trying to hold back any more laughter. "_Wow_," she said disbelievingly. "That was some show you put on, weird-girl. What are you gonna do next? Tell us your life story?"

Anna shriveled up on the spot and tried to disappear into her flannel. She crossed her arms over her chest and returned her gaze to the ground, hoping that if she stared at it hard enough it would swallow her whole.

Seeing this, Elsa turned to Meg angrily. "Will you back off?" She stood up from the table suddenly, ignoring Meg's affronted look and said, "Seriously, what the hell?" Elsa made to grab Anna's arm, pulling her a few feet away from the table and especially from Megara.

When they were a good distance away, Elsa dropped Anna's arm with a sigh. "I'm sorry about her. She can be..."

"It's okay." Anna said quietly, still boiling in her embarrassment.

"No, it's not okay." Elsa sighed again, "Her bitchiness is not an excuse for how she acted towards you."

Another flush crept up Anna's neck, this time out of the giddiness she felt from Elsa defending her. More sure of herself now, Anna said again, "Really, it's okay," she shrugged, "I'm used to a bit of teasing every now and then. What, with those goofballs as my friends." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder, motioning at the three boys standing a table away from them, obviously trying to look like they weren't eavesdropping.

Elsa chuckled lightly. "I know the feeling." She exaggerated an eye roll and pointed at her own friends.

The skater nodded, unsure of what to say to keep the conversation flowing. After a few moments of silence, she started rocking back and forth, stuffing her hands in her shorts pockets. "Um, I'm sorry too," Anna said at last. At Elsa's confused expression, she elaborated, "For offending you. Er- if I offended you."

"You didn't." Elsa grinned. "How could I be offended at being called pretty?"

"Ah, right," Anna laughed uneasily. "Sorry about that also." When Elsa opened her mouth to, no doubt, tell her to stop apologizing, Anna kept going, "I meant sorry for all the babbling. I tend to do that a lot or at least people tell me I do. And I guess they're right if what happened a minute ago is anything to go by. It's just I get nervous sometimes around people that, well..." she caught Elsa's eye and trailed off, "...make me nervous."

Elsa looked at her quizzically. "I make you nervous? Why?"

"Well..." Anna searched for an excuse, "I crashed into you on my skateboard, so I just thought you hated me or something." Okay, maybe that second part wasn't an excuse. She really did think the blonde hated her. People don't usually take it well when you slam them into the concrete.

"I don't hate you. I barely know you." Elsa rolled her eyes. "Actually, I don't know you at all."

Anna took a deep breath, thinking of the rejection she might face with her next question. "Maybe we could change that?" She squinted hopefully, fiddling with her fingers again.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. _That was kinda forward._

"Hmm..."

* * *

Kristoff, Flynn, and Olaf waited anxiously as Anna walked back over to them with a blank expression. When she stopped in front of them, still staring aimlessly, Flynn assumed the worst and put a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Ah kid, I'm sorry." He clapped her shoulder gently, "Better luck next time?"

Anna didn't answer, still gazing into space. "Wow she's taking this hard," Kristoff commented.

"No kidding." Flynn waved his hand in her face. "Should we do something?"

Olaf jumped up and down. "Oh! I know the CTR thing!"

"...You mean CPR."

"Yeah, that."

"Um, I don't think so dude," Kristoff shook his head.

Flynn prodded her cheek. "How 'bout a swift kick to the head?" Right as he said that, Anna blinked, slowly zoning back into reality.

She stared blankly at the worried faces of her friends, only increasing their apprehension.

Then, her lips quirked.

A slow smile climbed up her face, taking purchase on it permanently. Anna's eyes sparkled happily as she yelled in excitement, "She said yes!"

The boys startled and leaned back. Kristoff asked, "To a date?"

Anna paused. "Well, no."

Flynn scoffed and said, "Then what's the great news?"

"She-" Anna bit down on her lip to contain some of her joy. "She said she'd like to get to know me!" The redhead happy danced in front of them and squealed.

Flynn pursued his lips and asked, "That's it? No action? Did you even get her number?"

Anna stopped celebrating. "I wasn't exactly," she glanced away from them, "focused enough to do that."

Narrowing his eyes, Kristoff said, "You rambled, didn't you?"

"Heh heh." She shrugged her shoulders meekly. "Maybe?"

They all groaned in unison, knowing how her rants usually went down.

"Hey! You guys know how I get!" She protested. "And besides, it worked out great. Didn't it?"

"You tell us," Flynn said dryly.

Anna straightened. "Fine I will." She sat down at the table and motioned for them to do the same. She swept her arms in the air dramatically, causing Kristoff and Flynn to roll their eyes while Olaf listened with rapt attention. Anna started in a low voice, "So there I was, making her swoon with my charming words..."

* * *

_"Story time! Story time!" Anna squealed._

_He chuckled at her eagerness. "Only if you tell the story, kid." He loved hearing them just as much as she did._

_"Hmm... Okay!" Anna jumped onto her bed, settling on one side and patting the other invitingly. "Come on! Hurry up!"_

_Laughing again, he sat on the bed and faced her with crossed legs. "Whaddya got for me this time? Pirates? Dragons?"_

_She shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Better." Her little body bounced excitedly, too hyper for this late at night. "My story is about..." She paused, eyeing him expectantly until he got the hint to drum roll. "Love!"_

_He slumped, asking doubtfully, "Love?" She nodded. "What do you know about love, kid?"_

_Anna pouted and crossed her arms angrily. "I know about love 'n stuff."_

_"Sure ya do."_

_"I do! I do know!"_

_"Like what?" He taunted playfully. Although Anna didn't take it that way._

_"Like... like..." Her brows furrowed in frustration. Not coming up with anything, Anna hit the bed with a tiny fist._

_He watched her adoringly for a moment before suggesting, "Hows' about I tell you what I know?" He poked her stomach lightly, smiling when it elicited a giggle. "Is that okay?"_

_She nodded an affirmative, then crawled next to him so she was cuddled into his side._

_Putting an arm around her, he said, "Alright. So... love, right?" He looked at the ceiling as he thought. "Well, I know that I love you." He tickled her again, grinning at her quiet giggles. "And... that you love me." He leaned down to look in her eyes. "You love me, dontcha? Of course you do."_

_In a bout of rebellion, Anna replied, "No!"_

_"What?!" He said flabbergasted, making a show of being overly shocked. "You don't love me?" He put his hand over his heart. "Oh no! How will I live if I am not loved?"_

_Anna's hysterical laughter almost made him crack, but he held his act up. Turning back to her, he wriggled his fingers in the air teasingly and said, "You know what happens to people who don't love me?"_

_She bit her lip to contain her delight and shook her head. He grinned at her toothily. "They get tickled to death!"_

_In an instant his fingers were jabbing into her sides, running around her back, making her scream gleefully. "Ah-ha! P-Peter! Stop!" Another squeal snuck passed her lips, only encouraging him to continue._

_"This is whatcha get for not loving me, kid!"_

_Anna squirmed around trying to escape, then gasped out through her laughter, "Okay! I love you! I-ah! I love you!" Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall from her hysterics._

_He stopped immediately. Smiling down at Anna, he asked, "You promise?"_

_"Mhmm," she nodded, returning the smile._

_Sitting back and taking his hands away, he said, "Good. 'Cause I dunno what I'd do without your love."_

_"What would you do?" She asked, actually curious as to what the answer could be._

_He watched her intently, contemplating a serious answer. "I'd probably die," he finally said. But then regretted it when Anna's whole demeanor turned scared._

_Anna gasped. "No Peter! No!" She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him as best as she could. "I won't let you!"_

_He patted her arms lovingly. "Then I guess you'll haveta love me forever."_

_"I will." She peered up at him. "You'll love me too, right?" Her voice shook slightly, obviously distressed at the thought of losing him. Her eyes searched his for reassurance, which he gave her promptly._

_"Of course I will!" He pulled her up so they were more eye level. "You can't get rid of me that easy," he said jokingly, bopping her on the nose._

_Relief flooded Anna's body, a small smile appearing on her freckled face. He returned it and said, "Besides, it's too soon to join the stars."_

_"Whaddya mean?" She asked confusedly._

_"Well that's where people go when they die."_

_"I thought you said the stars were a happy place?"_

_"They are," he said, "That's why people wanna go there when they're done down here."_

_Anna tilted her head and mumbled, "Oh. Okay."_

_He pulled her eyes back to his and said, "But it's not time to go there. I still got a lot of happy stuff down here." _

_Anna's eyes twinkled. "Like me?"_

_"Like you."_

* * *

Sorry it took a week, but here ya go. Please lemme know what you think!


	6. Fine By Me

Anna tapped her foot against the concrete and glanced towards the park entrance again. Biting her lip, she turned back to her friend and resisted the urge to check once more.

Anna tuned back in to what Kristoff was saying.

"...and then I'll backside over the..."

She peeked at the entrance again. Only to be greeted with nothing.

_Still not here._

Anna grunted lightly in frustration. Partly at her impatience and partly because the person she wanted to see most wasn't present.

_It's not like she promised she'd show up. She said 'maybe'._

"...then aliens will eat my brains..."

She glanced at Kristoff and did a double take. "Wait, what?"

He put a hand in his hip and said, "Oh, so _now_ you're listening to me?"

The redhead pouted at him. "Sorry," she said, then turned away from him and whispered, "that you're so boring."

"What?"

Anna giggled and put her board down. "Nothing!" She called back at him as she skated away. She headed towards the entrance of the skate park, stopping next to a bench and looked out again. Scanning the empty area before her, Anna sighed and sat down on the worn out bench. She laid back on it and folded her arms behind her head, immediately falling into daydreams while gazing at the sky.

Unsurprisingly, Elsa popped into her head. The blonde girl had mentioned during class today that she might stop by the skate park after school to say 'hi' and follow through on their deal to learn more about each other. Of course Anna had leeched onto that comment hopefully and anticipated seeing her from the moment the day ended. Now that she was here though, and there was still no sight of Elsa, she was beginning to lose hope. Which made her realize the amount of pull the girl already had over her.

It unnerved her at how much she was thinking of the other girl lately. They've barely interacted, having only met a week ago, and yet her mind consistently brought images of Elsa to the forefront of her attention. Like now, with the blonde on her mind, Anna's heart skipped without her permission. She was trying to control the reactions to her body that Elsa gave her, but her presence, even if only in her head, was too strong for Anna to ignore.

It was getting ridiculous! This girl just waltzes (read: crashes) into Anna's life and right away burrows under her skin. Something like that wasn't suppose to happen with Anna. She couldn't let people get too close to her.

What if Elsa realized how unworthy Anna is of her presence? The blonde would probably hightail it out of Anna's life forever, leaving her to pick up the pieces of a broken friendship before it could even begin.

Anna shook her head at her thoughts. She was getting ahead of herself, picturing a fallout that had nothing to build on.

_Yet. Just wait 'til she finds out how fucked up you are._

Anna's chest constricted painfully. She shut her eyes in a desperate attempt to block out any bad thoughts, and memories to go with them. Now wasn't the time or place to have a breakdown.

Luckily she was saved from delving any deeper into her mind by a smooth voice from right above her.

"Ahem."

Anna opened her eyes only to be greeted by the light blue ones that both haunt her and make her heart flutter.

Elsa was leaning directly over her, blocking Anna from the sunlight. A sun halo framed her face radiantly, giving her the appearance of an angel.

Captivated by the angelic face hovering over her, Anna could only stare.

Elsa stared back quizzically, waiting for a simple hello or even just a reaction. Realizing Anna wasn't going to give her that, the blonde tried again. She leaned back from the skater and said, "Are you sleeping with your eyes open?"

Anna blinked at her and said, "Huh?" Blushing when Elsa rolled her eyes at her playfully.

"She's alive!" She teased.

Anna chuckled and sat up, instinctively reaching for her board to roll under her feet. She lulled it back and forth while she sat, contemplating a response. First, she tried to get out of her previous mindset, not wanting to show any sadness.

"So, um," Anna started, searching for words to break the ice, "...What's up?" She finished lamely. Yeah, icebreakers weren't really her thing.

"Is that how you start every conversation?" Elsa asked, her eyebrow rising skeptically.

Laughing sheepishly, Anna said, "I guess. Sorry." She lowered her gaze and tried to steel her nerves. The sun beat down on her neck, only making the gathered sweat there more prominent.

Elsa swept her eyes over the skater. "You don't have to say sorry," she said softly. It didn't annoy her so much as worry her at how much Anna apologized. It was like the girl felt responsible for every bad or inconvenient thing that happened around her.

"Uh, right. Sor–" Anna caught herself and coughed. She looked up and smiled tightly.

Sensing some tension in the girl, Elsa sat next to her and thought about asking if anything was wrong. But were they on that level?

The blonde rolled her eyes at her ridiculous thoughts. You didn't have to be on a certain level with someone to comfort them. So, making up her mind, she faced Anna and asked tentatively, "Are you alright?"

After controlling her heartbeat at the closer proximity of the girl, Anna had kept her eyes forward, lest she get distracted again. But when Elsa asked her that question, she reeled back in surprise, gaping at the other girl. Were her blues stamped on her forehead or something?

"I'm fine. Perfectly fine," was her automatic response as she shifted her eyes back to ground in front of her.

Elsa didn't believe her, but she felt like it wasn't her place to push it. So, she copied Anna and stared at the ground, cementing the silence between them.

Anna absentmindedly continued to roll her board back and forth under her feet. Every now and then it'd skim Elsa's foot when she rolled it to the left, but Anna didn't notice.

Elsa did though, and she waited for the next time it would get close enough to her. As Anna swung it back to her left, Elsa lifted her right foot and stamped down on the end, effectively stopping the redhead's movements.

She looked at Elsa questioningly and tried to tug it back, but the blonde held firm. Anna caught sight of Elsa smothering a smirk and her own eyes narrowed in mischief.

Putting more power into her tugs, Anna wrenched the board to the right. Elsa's foot slipped off but she quickly put it back on the board. She let her smile break through and put her other foot on the end too, so she'd have more strength.

They went about this game of tug-o-war for awhile, quiet giggles escaping from both girls when one of them managed to slip it out from the other's feet.

Anna knew she could easily pull the board away from Elsa at anytime, but she chose to go along with the game because seeing Elsa be playful was so enchanting. Her eyes were scrunched up at the corners from smiling so wide and her shoulders shook with the force of her laughter. The blonde looked so free from her usual composed nature that it made Anna feel the same joy by association.

_God she's beautiful._

There was a moment where she considered saying that out loud, but she squashed that thought before it could manifest on its own and she'd end up blurting it out accidentally.

Gradually their tugs lost force and the girls fell into a gentle sway of back and forth between them. Anna was still staring at Elsa, flitting her gaze around the blonde's face. From her content smile to the light freckles dusted across her cheeks, and the short hairs of her bangs fanned out against her forehead from the breeze.

Sighing quietly, Anna pulled her gaze from Elsa's face and looked down at their swaying feet. A small thought bubbled up as she watched and she let this one run around in her mind.

Perhaps they'd spend more time together if they had a reason. Then she'd get to know Elsa better and vice versa. If the blonde hung out with her enough, maybe she'd willingly hang out with Anna after a while without feeling like she had to because of some predetermined agreement.

But first, Anna would need that agreement to get her on board.

_Speaking of getting on boards…_

Letting her mouth run before she could think her words through, Anna blurted out, "I could teach you." She mashed her lips together firmly, mentally berating herself for being so sudden.

Elsa had grown comfortable during their silence, so she jumped at Anna's outburst. Turning to look at the redhead wide-eyed, she asked, "Teach me what?"

"Teach you to skate," Anna cleared her throat, "I–I mean, if you wanna. 'Cause you don't have to! It was just a suggestion." She looked back down, this time to hide her reddened cheeks.

Without looking up, Anna knew Elsa was studying her again. She could feel her intense blue eyes try to drill into her mind to find out what motivated Anna to suggest something like that.

After a few moments of tense silence, at least to Anna, Elsa finally spoke. "I wouldn't be any good at it."

Anna's head shot up and she said, "That would be the point of teaching you. So you would be good at it. And 'cause it's fun."

Elsa looked doubtful. "I'm not sure..." She said, then added teasingly, "I didn't exactly have a great first experience with skateboarding."

Anna laughed sheepishly and said, "Yeah... good point." Despite the remembrance of their crash, it seemed like Elsa was actually considering the idea. Anna tried not to get her hopes up though.

"So, um, is that a no?" She asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

Elsa twisted her lips thoughtfully, seriously contemplating what could result if she said yes. On one hand, it would be extremely dangerous, seeing as Elsa has the athletic skill of a three-legged elephant walking on a tightrope.

But on the other hand, she'd get to spend more time with Anna. She still wasn't quite sure how she felt about that, but would it really hurt to try?

_Physically? Probably._

Throwing caution to the wind, Elsa looked Anna in the eye and said, "Okay."

Anna just stared back blankly. "O-okay?" She asked. Elsa nodded at her. Anna certainly wasn't expecting that, but she also wasn't going to complain. "Well... alright!" She cheered with a newfound excitement. "Do you wanna start now?"

Elsa glanced at her watch and replied sadly, "I actually have to get home. Homework and such."

Anna's shoulders sagged. "Oh, right," she mumbled, "Me too. Except I'll probably just stare at mine for ten minutes then say 'nah'." She giggled at her own words and brightened when Elsa laughed too.

"Is that how you study, too?" She asked jokingly.

Anna shook her head vehemently and said, "No way." Then she shrugged, "I jus' don't study."

Brow rising in slight disapproval, Elsa said, "That can't be good for your grades."

"It really isn't," Anna agreed. Their topic of conversation reminded Anna of her school predicament, and her expression noticeably dropped. At Elsa's questioning look, Anna elaborated, "I'm not exactly... passing."

The blonde hummed awkwardly, "That's too bad." She shifted in place, not having the heart to just leave right away. Especially after Anna's gracious offer to teach her how to skate. Which, if she was honest, actually seemed kind of fun. Maybe she could return the offer?

Thinking fast, because she really did need to go, Elsa said, "Would you like help?"

Anna paused. "Wha—with what?" She understood what Elsa was asking, but felt like it needed to be confirmed from her mouth. Just to be sure.

"I can help you. With school work." Elsa tucked a stray hair behind her ear, ducking her head a bit. Anna's reaction was making her second guess herself.

Anna blinked owlishly at Elsa. This was too good to be true. Elsa was actually volunteering more of her time to her! The skater almost pinched herself because she had to be dreaming right now. She quickly gathered her wits and rushed out a reply, "Yes! Ah—I mean... sure." She pretended to shrug indifferently, "If you wanna, that is."

Elsa smothered an amused grin and nodded sagely. "Right. Of course." She stuck her hand out and said, "So, do we have a deal?"

"We do." Anna didn't hesitate this time and grabbed Elsa's hand to shake it firmly. She also didn't anticipate the tingles that shot up her arm, much like on their first meeting, and had to hold back a gasp.

After a few moments, Elsa took the initiative to let go after Anna's grip didn't loosen. Her hand slid out of Anna's clammy one and she cleared her throat to get the redhead's attention back. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Her voice sounded more hopeful than she cared to admit, so she added more seriously, "We can work out the details then."

Anna nodded dumbly in response, still reeling from the unexpected effect Elsa's touch had on her. She watched as the blonde sashayed away from her.

"See you tomorrow," she whispered.

* * *

Please excuse any mistakes. I had to upload this from my iPod cuz I'm currently visiting relatives over spring break, and therefore don't have access to my computer. Anywho, please leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! And what do you think could come from this arrangement they've... arranged? But yeah, I'd love to know what you think.


	7. Falling For Ya

"Ok, so what's the first step for solving for molarity?"

Anna bit the end of her pencil and scrunched her face at the chemistry book in her lap. It wasn't making any sense to her and every word that was coming out of Elsa's mouth sounded like gibberish. She had to stop herself multiple times from throwing the book on the ground and using it as a ramp to vent her frustrations.

She might've also been a little distracted. By, well, _Elsa_.

Anna sighed, finally just giving up. "I dunno. You're the smart one, you tell me."

Elsa looked at her exasperatedly. "If I tell you the answer, you'll never learn it." Her patience was beginning to wear thin. They had been at the skate park for about an hour, deciding it was a good place for Anna to study and Elsa to learn how to skate. And after attempting to drill the material into Anna's head, nothing seemed to be getting through to her.

"I'll never learn it 'cause I'm _stupid_."

The blonde's impatience melted away slightly and her face softened as she looked at Anna. The skater kept her eyes away from the pitying look she knew she was getting, and tried to once again focus on the book in front of her.

It wasn't that she was embarrassed about not understanding the material, she was just frustrated with herself. All these equations and elements with weird names didn't make sense in her head. And having to sit still while learning them certainly wasn't helping either. Her body had started bouncing a minute into the lessons, craving a ride on her board.

The metal bleachers inside the park were making her butt cramp, and she kept shifting around restlessly. Right now she needed to get up and do something, take a break from all this science nonsense.

The idea of a break appealing to her greatly, Anna looked back at Elsa and said, "Let's do something else!"

Elsa blinked at Anna's sudden transformation from distressed to hopeful. She had been about to encourage Anna into trying a little harder but the redhead beat her to the punch with her request.

Still thinking that they needed to go over the work more, Elsa opened her mouth ready to refuse Anna's offer. But when Anna's eyes widened hopefully, she couldn't bring herself to put her in a bad mood.

Sighing, the blonde relented, "Fine." When the other girl eagerly jumped up, she added, "But only for a little while. You still have a lot to learn."

Anna slumped back onto the bleachers and grumbled, "Why? I'm not gonna learn this junk anyway."

"Are you doubting my skills as a tutor?"

"No, I'm doubting _my_ skills as a learner." Anna flopped backwards on the stands, wincing when her head make contact with a metal seat. "Owie."

Elsa chewed her lip thoughtfully, not liking the way Anna kept putting herself down. She decided that Anna needed forceful encouragement if they were ever going to get anywhere.

Taking the book from Anna's lap, Elsa set it on the space next to her so she could be closer to the redhead. She got right up in her face so that there were only a few inches between them and pointed a finger at her. She said firmly, "Stop doubting yourself. How can you expect to learn anything if you don't believe you can?" She moved in closer, poking the stunned girl's forehead and continuing, "I don't wanna hear you call yourself stupid anymore. Not even in your mind."

Finally leaning back, Elsa took in the girl's stunned silence as an affirmative.

Anna was faintly gaping at her, obviously not expecting that outburst. Her forehead tingled where Elsa had poked it and she was frozen in place from catching a whiff of her lovely smelling perfume.

Shaking her head to clear the fog in it, Anna said to her, "You can be intense sometimes."

_Intensely hot._

But she refrained from adding that thought.

Elsa released a hard sigh and replied, "I know." She pierced Anna with a look. "Get used to it."

She grinned when Anna instantly nodded.

Elsa clapped her hands as a sign to move on and said, "Alright, what do you wanna do?"

_Many, many things that you probably won't agree to..._

Instead of saying that, Anna announced, "How about we start your skating lesson?" She jumped up from her seat and grabbed her board that had been waiting patiently to be ridden.

Elsa grimaced and said, "I was hoping you forgot about that." When she agreed to the lessons, it had been in a brief moment of adrenaline. Now that feeling was gone and she was apprehensive about the whole ordeal.

"Come on! It's easy, I swear," pleaded Anna. "It's like..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then brightened, "dancing!"

"I don't dance," Elsa deadpanned.

Anna deflated and asked desperately, "Well what _do_ you do?" The blonde shook her head and didn't answer, opting to instead eye the skateboard in Anna's hand like it was going to explode.

Elsa looked up at her doubtfully and said, "I'm gonna crack my skull open." At Anna's disbelieving laugh she confirmed, "I'm serious! I have the athleticism of a drunk monkey. Last year in PE I was sent to the nurse because I injured myself playing freeze tag." She was being completely serious but Anna continued to laugh at her.

"H-how do you get hurt in freeze tag?" The redhead gasped out, "You aren't even moving half the time!"

"Exactly my point," Elsa stomped to the other girl and pinched her side lightly. "And I don't appreciate being laughed at for my bad skills."

Anna's giggles quieted down and she rubbed her stinging side. A blushing smile took up her face as she reveled in that light touch from Elsa.

Resigning to her fate, Elsa said, "Ok let's get this over with."

"You could at least pretend to have fun." Anna put her hands on her hips and tried not to look offended.

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry." Elsa took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Anna squealed happily and pulled Elsa a few feet away to some open space. She put her board on the ground in front of the blonde and motioned for her to step onto it.

Elsa stared at her.

Anna motioned again, this time more aggressively.

Elsa stared some more.

The redhead sighed and threw her arms up. "I thought you said you were ready?"

"I am."

"Well you can't learn to ride it unless you _get on the board_."

Elsa pursued her lips and said, "I'm willing to argue that." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Just... just come here." Anna obviously wasn't as patient as Elsa when it came to teaching, judging by how she ducked down and grabbed Elsa's right leg, planting it firmly on the middle of the board.

"Anna!" Elsa screamed. She clutched Anna's shoulders fearfully, preventing the other girl from standing up.

Anna grunted at the pressure keeping her crouched and tried to ease Elsa's fears. "Elsa! It's not moving! Calm down!"

Her efforts were in vain as Elsa didn't let up on her grip. The blonde's nails dug into her shoulders as she yelped again when Anna shifted the board slightly. "Stop moving it!" She yelled.

"Stop moving _you_!" Anna yelled back.

"I'm not moving!"

"Yes you are!"

Elsa almost shrieked again when Anna forcefully pushed herself back up to her feet. She was about to loudly reprimand her but when she noticed how stable her feet felt, she looked down. Elsa saw that while her right foot was on the skateboard, the other was still planted on the ground, keeping her upright.

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah, _oh_."

Elsa shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Anna assured, "I get how scary it is at first."

"Were you this scared when you learned—"

"Yeah. Yes. Sure." Anna quickly interrupted. Not wanting to delve any deeper.

Elsa raised an eyebrow skeptically but didn't question further because Anna had crouched down again. "Ah! What are you doing?!"

"Not checking out your legs," Anna mumbled to herself. While checking out Elsa's legs.

"What?"

"Nothing!" She quickly averted her gaze and reached for Elsa's other leg that was still on the ground. "Now come on. Put your left foot—"

"Hell no!" Elsa yelled down at her. Her hands were still holding onto Anna's shoulders for dear life and only gripped harder at the girl's _crazy_ suggestion.

Trying not to let her frustration show, Anna asked, "Elsa, what do I have to do to get you on this skateboard?"

"Pass chemistry."

"Ugh!"

* * *

"That's it. There ya go."

After many minutes of tugging and careful persuasion, Anna finally got Elsa to stand on the board with both feet. Although, they still weren't moving.

Anna had promised to block the board on both ends with her feet to keep it from rolling at all. She had her hands on Elsa's waist (and was trying valiantly to ignore that fact) to keep the girl steady and calm.

"See! It's not that hard!" Anna cheered.

Elsa disagreed. Her legs were tense and shaking while her hands dug at Anna's shoulders painfully. Every few seconds she would yelp if the board was jostled even a centimeter.

"I beg to differ." She mumbled tightly. Her eyes widened when once again the skateboard barely shifted under her feet. "You said this would be fun. How come I'm not having any fun?"

"You jus' gotta get used to it," Anna said calmly. Though internally she was wincing because Elsa's nails were scratching up her shoulders severely.

_When I pictured her digging her nails into my back, it was for a __**whole**__ different reason._

"Ow!" She finally released a yell when the pain became too much. "You pierced the skin!"

"Sorry," Elsa said. She loosened her grip for a second, then the wobbles happened again and she clung on full force, pulling Anna into her chest accidentally.

The redhead almost lost her footing, causing Elsa to pull her in tighter, so she tried to stop moving before her face could be smushed into the girl's chest more.

Anna's face burned and she wasn't sure if she should be thankful because it was hidden, or scared because it was hidden in Elsa's breasts.

"H-how about we take a break?" She asked, her voice muffled for obvious reasons.

"Yes! A break sounds good!" Elsa jumped for joy at the suggestion and finally pushed Anna away from her chest, still unaware of what she just put the girl through.

She realized that now they were in a whole new predicament and asked, "How am I going to get off this thing?"

Anna took in much needed lungfuls of air and willed the blush away from her cheeks. "Just step off," she said.

"Uh, no. That's not happening."

"Then you're gonna be on it for a very long time," Anna remarked unhelpfully.

"Anna!" Elsa whined. She would've stomped if she didn't feel like it would put her life in danger. Her voice dropped to a pleading tone. "Please help me." She turned her face away, not liking having to beg for assistance.

Anna softened and her previous embarrassment melted away at how cute the blonde looked. "Okay," she said. Then she tried to think of another way for Elsa to get off the board. "Um, you could try jumping off? Into my arms?" She said slowly.

She knew her idea was crazy when Elsa looked at her like she was such. "Are you high?" She asked, her voice shrill.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Look, it'll be like a crazy trust exercise. Okay?" When Elsa stared back uncertainly, Anna's expression morphed into one of seriousness. "I promise I won't let you fall."

Struck by the truthfulness gleaming in Anna's eyes, Elsa only nodded. She let some of the tension leave her body, putting her trust in the other girl. Anna tightened her hands on Elsa's waist and started counting down for her to jump, "One." She felt the fresh cuts on her shoulders get pinched again, but ignored it. "Two." Elsa's legs started shaking again. "Three!"

The blonde leaped off the skateboard with a shout and into Anna's waiting embrace. Anna kicked her board away when Elsa jumped and quickly bent her knees in anticipation of catching her. They knocked heads lightly but neither noticed because Elsa was clinging to her frightfully and Anna was attempting to not fall down under the weight of another body.

Her arms stayed wrapped around the blonde's waist as she lowered the girl to the ground. When Elsa felt her feet touch concrete, she sighed relieved and loosened her hold around Anna's shoulders.

Upon pulling away, she noticed the close proximity of Anna's face to hers and froze.

Anna's entire body went numb as Elsa gazed back at her. The girl's breath dusted across her own lips, causing a Anna's heart to tumble. She tried not to breath in the tantalizing scent wafting from Elsa's skin.

The electricity crackling between the two girls grew too much for Elsa as she tore her eyes away. Slowly pulling her arms back from Anna's shoulders, she made sure to stare at anywhere but the redhead.

A pit of disappointment lay low in Anna's stomach as she felt the beautiful girl pull away from her. Her own arms unwrapped from the protective embrace they had on Elsa's waist, taking their time sliding around her hips until she regretfully broke contact.

She coughed to get rid of the tension.

"So, uh," Anna started, "that's it for today?"

Elsa nodded wordlessly. She turned around to walk back to bleachers and start packing up her things.

Anna watched for a moment then walked over also. She picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, eyeing Elsa as the girl quickly and quietly packed up. When she was finished, Elsa stood up straight and resumed the awkward eye contact with Anna. She didn't let it last long though as she then said, "Do you need a ride home?" The question was out before she could fully consider it and she bit her lip as she waited for an answer.

Anna lowered her eyes to the ground, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she replied, "No. I'm skating home."

Elsa hesitated, seeming to about to argue, but then nodded shortly and walked around Anna to the park's exit. There was a pause in her steps as she made a quick decision and turned back around to the redhead.

Striding toward her purposely, Elsa dropped her stuff to the ground as she smoothly glided her arms around Anna's neck. She tucked her head into the crook of her neck and shoulder with a pounding heart.

Anna was stock still as the sudden sensation washed over her. Elsa's scent was back and it caused her brain to fuzz out temporarily. Attempting to gather her wits, Anna returned the embrace and wrapped her arms around Elsa's back gently, as if the girl were made of fragile ice that could crack at any moment.

They stayed like that for a minute until a rush of wind pulled them back to the present.

Elsa held back her instinct to jump away and instead gradually released the girl in her hold. Her arms slid down Anna's and their bond finally broke after her fingers latched onto Anna's briefly before falling away.

Anna shoved her hands in her pockets as if that would salvage the tingles shooting up her fingers. She watched Elsa pick her bag back up and cracked a small grin when their eyes met again. Elsa returned it before turning back around to actually leave this time. When she got to the exit of the park, she glanced back at the redhead who was still standing there with her hands tucked in her shorts.

Anna waved a little and rejoiced internally when Elsa smiled again. She gazed after the blonde until she was out of sight and then let out a sigh.

It was going to be a long ride home.

* * *

Was this fluffy? I was going for fluff. Especially cuz things will start picking up soon. Hopefully.

Please review and tell me what you thought of the Elsanna cuteness!


	8. Empty Space

When Anna finally rolled up her driveway, the sun was on the brink of setting and she couldn't wait to get inside and just fall into bed after an exhausting day. Her brain was sore from—_ugh_—learning and her muscles ached due to the skating lessons with Elsa. Just the thought of the girl's painful grip on her shoulders made her wince.

Anna hopped off her board and crossed the dead grass of her lawn to the front door.

If it wasn't for her fatigue, she would've noticed a familiar car parked in the driveway.

Opening the door, Anna sang out, "Mom? Dad? I'm hooooome!" She slammed the door shut and listened for a response. When none came, Anna cautiously made her way to the living room where she thought she heard noise. A sense of foreboding built in her at this unfamiliar silence that greeted her.

The first thing her eyes fell on were the _three_ people gathered in the room. The usual two being her mom and dad.

They all sat stiffly and with mouths clamped shut, obviously having just cut off a conversation abruptly. The air was tense and suffocating, making Anna feel like she was intruding in her own home.

Her father stood up, usually towering over Anna but the nervousness emitting from him made him seem small. He opened his mouth to, no doubt, ease her confusion about the third guest and said, "Baby girl!" He rubbed his paw-like hands together, "We didn't, ah, hear you come in."

_Yeah right. _

Anna ignored him and stayed put at the entrance of the room, not yet wanting to be pulled into this atmosphere.

It was a mass of unease and faintly concealed guilt, making her teem with suspicion. Whenever a wisp of it skimmed over her, goose bumps shivered up her spine, implanting an uneasiness under the skin there.

The main source of her anxiousness was sat directly in her line of sight, in a love seat next to the couch her parents resided on. Finally taking a small step into the living room and letting the thick air consume her, Anna kept her gaze on this figure, thinking that if she got closer, maybe she'd be able to prove they weren't actually there.

It didn't work.

The figure was most definitely who she thought it was. Primly seated on that old chair, back straightened with usual maturity, or maybe this time with nerves, there wasn't a doubt in Anna's mind they were real.

It made her gut drop into her shoes and replace the now empty spot with a heavy ball of nausea.

Rushing memories, onslaught of repressed images, a dizzying familiarity. It was all too much.

_What is this? _

Anna's board dropped from her hand with the weight of the unwanted feelings slamming into her.

_What's happening?_

She took another staggering step forward and unsteadily lifted her hand to point.

"You," she grit out, "Why are you here?" There was no malice in her voice. Her words shook with breathless disbelief.

"Anna, please let me—"

"_Why_," she said again, this time noticeably with more force and barely hidden rage, "are you here?"

Now Anna's mom stood up and attempted to calm the storm she saw thundering in her daughter. "Anna, dear, if you would please sit down and talk with us, I—I'm sure it'll clear things up."

_Clear what up? What's there to clear?_

Now breathing harshly through her nose and repeatedly clenching her fists, because the sight of this person was quickly replacing her previous exhaustion with a surge of fury, Anna let the forces rampaging inside her build the structure for her next words. "This is supposed to be a safe place. _My_ safe place," she stressed every syllable viciously, pointing again at the figure, "From the– the _memories_ you bring with you. I—" Her breath left her jaggedly. Anna stumbled back, tripping over her board and into the wall.

Her mother gasped and her father took a step forward, ready to help.

She quickly thwarted off their attempts to come closer with a flick of her wrist. Right now she needed space. Air to gather back in her lungs and give her the functionality to make sense of the situation.

Trying again to form words, Anna said between breaths, "Do you not realize what... what you being here does?"

The figure shook her head rapidly. "Anna I swear, I only want to help—"

"_Help_?!" Anna bellowed, her rage already boiling over. "The only thing you help us with is _reminding us of what we don't have anymore_!"

Silence. The penetrable atmosphere thickened, much like the lump in Anna's throat. The all too familiar sting of tears begged to be released from her eyes.

Yet she kept going. "Y-you carry bad memories with you Wendy. Painful ones! And—" she gulped in more air, "and I can't handle that." Anna's head shook as her eyes shifted between the shocked ones she still hasn't broken gazes with since entering. "I _can't_. Not right now."

Her mom tried again. "Baby please just—"

"No!" Anna began to retreat slowly, stumbling over her feet and her words. "Not right now. Just—just not right now."

"Then _when_?" The figure begged, daring to step toward the redhead. "When will you deal with this Anna?" She took another step closer, only pushing Anna to retreat faster. "You need to come to terms with this!"

It clicked in Anna's brain. The reason why they were all here like this, waiting for her. This was some sort of intervention. A way to get her to finally spill about how she felt.

It felt more like a trap.

Anna fumed at having figured out their plot, most likely organized by the third party.

Betrayal swirled up her insides as she glanced at her parents. They were obviously stirring in their own guilt, but they still stood against her.

The third person spoke again, softening her tone to appeal to Anna. "You can't bottle up all these feelings and memories. It's not healthy."

"Well you butting your way back into our lives certainly won't help!" The _audacity_ of her to decide what Anna needed to do. What Anna needed to _deal_ with. "And what do you know about what _I'm_ feeling?" Anna snarled.

"I lost him too!"

That shut Anna up. And everyone else. Another tense silence permitted the air, choking its victims with the unavoidable shot of pain those words hit them with.

Taking a deep breath, the person continued, "We all did. And that's why _we_," she motioned at Anna's parents, "feel like it's time we discuss it. So that we can move on."

Anna's rage was back, flaring irregularly as her emotions fought between sadness and anger. "_Move on_?" She choked out, "You mean _forget_? Forget him? Just, leave him in the dust?"

The guest sighed, but stayed quiet.

Anna was about to explode. Either into a fit of yelling or ugly sobs, she wasn't sure. This surprise attack of feelings was almost at its limit, and she needed time to think them off.

But knowing herself, she'll probably just deflect and repress until all that was left was the wreckage of an insufferable battle she had with herself.

Rubbing the growing migraine in her forehead, Anna turned around to go to her room without bidding the three others a goodbye. She bounded up the stairs two at a time, trying to make it to her sanctuary before her cries broke out and they'd be able to hear from down below.

Flinging herself onto her bed, Anna stuffed her face in her pillow to muffle a scream of frustration. Or was it anguish?

She didn't dwell on it much while she cried herself into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

_"Anna."_

_The redhead didn't stir. _

_"Wake up Anna."_

_She let the quiet voice drift over her and lull her back into a deep sleep._

_"Hey. Anna." This time the voice sounded louder, and accompanied with gentle shakes to her body._

_Anna groaned but still didn't open her eyes. She snuggled into her blankets more and tucked her head under her pillow, hoping it would block out the person trying to wake her up._

_The person sighed amusedly and tapped his chin, contemplating a better way to wake her up. He studied the girl for a few more moments before brightening as an idea hit him._

_He took a step back from her and bent his knees; then with the grace of a prancing doe, jumped into the air over Anna, almost seeming to fly..._

_...then landed on her with a great, big whomp._

_Anna groaned again, this time louder and in significant pain. She rolled over onto her back as best she could with a body on her and attempted to push him off. Still making noises of obvious annoyance and sleepiness, she gave another big push and whined, "Stoppit Peter."_

_The boy on top of her went limp and didn't make a sound. She heaved his body up, only for him to fall back on her when she couldn't hold his weight up any more. "Ugh, you're so heavy."_

_Without moving a muscle he said, "You callin' me fat."_

_"Yes." Now Anna struggled to breath under him. "My god, get off of me you fatass!"_

_"Ohhhh," he dragged the word out tauntingly, "Mom's not gonna like the language you're using young lady."_

_"Then that means she won't like you either," she shoved him again, "'cause you taught it to me."_

_"Hmmph." He finally sat up, grinning at the gulps of air Anna took in, and said, "Touché kid."_

_Once Anna gained her breath back, she narrowed her eyes at him defensively. "I'm not a kid," she grumbled, crossing her arms with a pout._

_His grin widened. "You sure do pout like one."_

_"Well I'm not," she argued. Yet her pout deepened, only cementing his point. "I'm thirteen."_

_"Whoa oh!" He threw his hands up dramatically and sarcastically replied, "Excuuuuse me!" He made as if to get off the bed and said, "I guess I'll take my leave then, since lil' miss grown up over here is too good for me."_

_Anna smothered a grin and swung her pillow at him. "Shuddup," she grumbled again._

_"Ah ah ah!" He flicked his hand up, pointed at her and scolded mockingly, "Grown ups don't mumble their words!"_

_She swung at him again and laughed out, "I'm not a grown up you doof." She kept pelting him with her pillow. "I just meant I'm not a kid."_

_He brought his arms up in defense of her assault, smiling all the while at this game. "Then what else could you be?" He laughed when she got a good whack to his head. "Besides, being a kid is awesome!" _

_"Of course you think so, you're older than me and still act like a child!"_

_"So?" He grabbed the other end of the pillow and yanked it towards himself, bringing Anna with it._

_She grunted at the pull and said, "So," Anna tried tugging the pillow back, to no avail, "it's... childish."_

_"That's kinda the point," he chuckled._

_"Will you ever stop being a kid?" She asked, a little annoyed that she couldn't win their tug of war game._

_He stopped pulling but kept a firm grip. He was looking at Anna more serious than she would've liked, or was used to. She waited for him to say anything, anything that would distract from the faraway expression his face held. It was the first time she really saw him look even slightly afraid._

_Blinking out of whatever trance he put himself in, the boy locked eyes with Anna and said, "I hope not."_

_She never asked him that question again._

* * *

Anna jolted awake.

Sitting up hurriedly, her breath came out in ragged pants as she looked around her room.

When her eyes didn't lock on anything suspicious lurking around, she sighed at her paranoia. Nearly every time she woke up in the middle of the night, it would be in a cold sweat and her heart would be pumping wildly, half expecting something to jump out at her.

There was never anything hovering over her ready to attack, never an object out of place or open window letting a burglar escape. It was always all in her head.

This affliction was becoming tiresome. Truthfully, she had gotten sick of it after the first time it happened.

Her midnight terrors were usually a result of nightmares. Nightmares concocted of painful memories and fears, only twisted to seem worse. And each time they occurred Anna would shift endlessly in her sleep, anxious to escape whatever images plagued her that night. Once she finally manages to escape by waking up, she would spend rest of the night lying in bed wide awake, for fear of falling into her dreams again.

One might use this time to ponder their dreams, perhaps try to figure out why they occur so they can make them stop. It seemed like the logical solution.

Except Anna was notorious for being illogical.

She was a doer, not a thinker. She doesn't think through many things, opting to instead jump right into them, forgetful of the consequences.

Or illogical in the sense that she doesn't like to deal with problems. Or know how to.

Deflect and repress.

It's what she did best.

Realizing she wasn't going to get any sleep again, Anna rolled over in bed with a sigh. She reached for her cellphone on her nightstand, scrambling in the dark until she felt it in her grasp. Turning it on and blinking rapidly when the bright screen blinded her, she hesitated at calling the person that came to mind.

Would she be awake? Probably not.

Were they even on a level of friendship that warranted Anna pulling her into her crap? God no.

But Anna was delirious with tiredness and desperate for human contact, so with a quick decisive tap of her fingers, she dialed Elsa's number.


End file.
